(The cover for LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 by Karl Kerschl)
Writer Paul Levitz and artist Francis Portela are no strangers to one another. The duo has worked together before on books such as ADVENTURE COMICS and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES. This September, they reunite to give LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES a fresh, new look. They spoke to us about what they’re brewing up for the Legion and teased at what’s to come in the series:
THE SOURCE: What about DC’s new 52 titles excited you the most?
PAUL LEVITZ: The sheer scale of the project… larger than any launch I can recall in comics.
FRANCIS PORTELA: Day and date digital, by far and large!
How and why are you shaking up the series’ status quo?
PL: The Legion’s membership mix changes a lot–between the characters departing for LOST, and incorporating some from the Academy, and a few changes that we won’t reveal for a few issues. Hopefully the new mix will create new dramatic opportunities, and also let us emphasize some of the younger members.
FP: I think this is probably one of the books where the status quo is going to stay more or less the same, but my goal is to do the best possible job and let’s see how things evolve from here!
What new characters will debut in the series?
PL: In the first issue you’ll see Glorith, Chemical Kid and Dragonwing move over from the Legion academy, all only about a year old as characters…
FP: No new characters yet, but some Legion Academy members will graduate and become full members of the Legion. We’ll also meet a new villain by the end of issue 1!
Will we see new character designs?
PL: Absolutely.
FP: Sure, some characters will have a new suit, but not all of them, some will keep their current look.
What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had working on this character/book?
PL: How the lost got lost.
FP: Nothing in particular. Now, wait, there was one – being offered the gig!
What secret has been the hardest to keep?
FP: Nothing more, nothing less than not being able to tell my friends and colleagues what book I was working on.
What’s the unofficial tagline for this series, in your own words?
PL: “Welcome to the future.”
FP: “New blood for the Legion!”
What were your thoughts about the day-and-date digital announcement?
FP: As you can imagine reading my first answer, I thought that was the most important part of the relaunch announcement. It’s big, it’s a game changer, and I hope it benefits creators as much as it benefits DC!
Skitch Commentary: Surprisingly, it looks like this is the first reboot in DC’s history that doesn’t seem to beat the crap out of Legion continuity. That actually might not be a good thing. I’ve been a Legion fan for a while, and when grey tells me what’s been going on in Legion the last few years, I find it overly complicated and confusing. Hopefully Levitz will be able to make this accessible. Legion is a tough sell for that.
That said, I really am curious about this series and will definitely be checking it out. Long Live the Legion!
